Method of distributing and sorting merchandise



, 26, 1922. EAMQQZQJQ 4 A. s. ALSCHULER. METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING ANDSORTING MERCHANDISE.

FILED 00v. 3. 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET I De? 26, W22, 1 414 24 A. S.ALSCHULER. METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING AND SdRTINs MERCHANDISE.

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Patented Dec. 26, 19220 unites sraras Lthlhtlll PATENT CDFFHCZEO ALFREDS. ALSCHULER, 01E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO B. H. ALSCHULER, 01F

WINNETKA, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OI DISTRIBUTING AND SOR'IING MERCHANDISE.

Application filed Qctober 3, 1921. Serial 1%. 505,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALFRED S. ALSGHUL- ER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methodsof Distributing and Sorting Merchandise, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a method of distributing and sortingmerchandise, and contemplates the provision of a method or system thatwill fulfill the requirements of mail order houses.

A very large percentage of the orders received by the ordinary mailorder. house consist of a plurality of items or group of items,furnished from as many vdifferent stock rooms. Before shipment of anyorder can be made, the various items constituting the order must beassembled at a definite point for checking and preparation for shipment.It is customary and desirable to have each order scheduled for assemblyand packing at a definite time. Adherence to a time schedule in thepreparationof orders for shipment is greatly facilitated when the methodof my invention is employed.

A salient feature of my invention is section and time sorting etliectedat points in proximity to suitable receptacles in which complete ordersare assembled and checked prior to preparation for shipment. Thissection and time sorting is eliected by a single volitional act withrespect to each item. and is preferably facilitated by using bin unitsor sorting stations of a type presently to be described. The assemblyreieptacles are arranged in sections. there being a plurality of suchsections located adjacent to each sorting station. The employee oremployees. in charge 01" each sorting station. by one handling of eachitem, delivers each of the items which go into the station into one of aplurality of receptacles forming part of the sorting station. Deliveryof any item into any one of these relt determines the section ofassembly receptacles in which the item is to be assembled with otheritems of the same order, andlikewise determines the time at which saiditem is to be assembled with-other items of the same order. I believe itis broadly new with me to devise a method wherein the several items ofeach order, by a single act with respect to each item, are sorted, atpoints proved method Will appear as this specification progresses.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammaticplan view of an assembly room equipped with certain apparatus which ispreferably employed in carrying my method. into effect;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4: illustrates the nature of the indicia which is carried by eachpackage constituting an item to be handled in accordance with myimproved method;

Figure 5 is a' longitudinal vertical sectional view of a modified styleof sorting station, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of same.

ll shall first refer to Figure 1. An equipment suitable for my purposepreferably comprises devices such as belt conveyors, chutes, trucks, orthe like, For conveying" articles of merchandise from the stock rooms toa point where such articles may be readily delivered to beltconveyors,or the like, which lead to the stations where time and section sortingis accomplished in the manner presently to be explained.Diagrammatically illustrated belt conveyors Hi -l0 are representative ofmeans for carrying articles of merchandise from the stock rooms (notshown) to a platform or balcony 11. In some installations, I find itconvenient to locate the platform or balcony llil a substantial distanceabove the level of the sorting room floor, as illustrated.

At a, b, 0 and d, T have illustrated belt conve ors which serve to carrymerchandisc fiioin balcony 11 to the sorting stations A. B. C and D,there being one of said conveyors assigned to deliver merchandise toeach sorting station. The conveyors a, b, c and d, are preferably sodisposed at the balcony 11 that employees receiving.

packages discharged by conveyors 10-10 may easily toss any package uponany proper one of the conveyors 01:, b, 0 and d. In the present showing,said conveyors are disposed in su erposed relation.

Each sortlng station comprises a set of bins with the aidoi't which, byone handling of each item, all items delivered to the station may besorted with respect to a section of assembly receptacles in which saiditems are to be assembled into complete orders or consignments, and withrespect to the'time periods in which they are to be thus assemled. Thesorting stations herein illustrated comprise four sections each, eachsection consisting of three superposed bins. Each station comprises aplatform 12, a table or bench 13, andsteps let, which atlord access tothe platform. Chutes 15 receive merchandise from the conveyors a, Z), cand 02', and discharge same upon the tables or benches 13. Each verticaltier of the bins at each station constitutes a bin section. Thesesections or tiers of bins are numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4, in Figure 1. Theseveral bins of each section are readily accessible to the employee, oremployees, located at the table 13. The bins preferably slope downwardlyawe from the table 13, the outer ends of the hins being readilyaccessible to the employees whose duty it is to take parcels out of thebins and to deliver said parcels to the assembly baskets presently tobedescribed. With respect to the employees last mentioned, ll will statethat there is preferably one of said employees assigned to each binsection. Said last mentioned employees work out of the bins inaccordance with a definite time schedule. Thus, we will say that eachemployee works out of the top bin of a certain section during the firsttwenty minutes of each hour that the method is in operation, that duringthe second twenty minutes such employee works out of the middle bin oithe same section, and during the third twenty minutes such employeeworks out of the lower bin of that section. This plan is importantbecause it makes it possible to make use or the hereinafter describedassembly baskets once every twenty minutes.

Located adjacent .to each sorting station are racks 1016, which supporta plurality of assembly baskets 1.7- 1"T(. These baskets bear individualnumbers not shown) which are visible to persons working between the.

bin sections and the racks 16-16. For

every bin section in the system, there is a corresponding assemblybasket section, which is in charge of the employee who 'works' out ofthat particular bin section.

Thus, the employee who works out of bin section 1 of station A is incharge of basket section A1. Employees working out of other sections ofthe same station, or of other stations, are in charge of similar basketsections. In every case, the basket sections are located adjacent to thebin sections from which said basket sections are to receive packages.

I now call attention to the tables 18 which are preferably arranged-inrows alongside the assembly basket racks 16 on the sides thereof awayfrom the sorting stations. These tables are provided for the use ofpackers who take complete orders or consignments from the assemblybaskets, pack or wrap said orders or consignments, as may be required,and deliver the packages or boxes in which same are contained toconveyors 19-19, vvhich,. either directly or through the agency ofauxiliary conveyors or chutes, deliver said packages or boxes to ashipping room (not shown).

Every order received by the mail order establishment is delivered to ascheduling department. The scheduling department transmits a suitablememorandum to each of the departments or stock rooms from which theseveral items of the order are to be secured, all memoranda pertainingto a certain order bearing certain similar markings or indicia which areutilized in the process of tting all of the items of the order assem 1led in the same basket, checked, and in the hands of the packers at adefinite time, or rather at some time within a definite time period,say, for instance, within a time period of twenty minutes.

Let us refer to Figure 4, wherein T have illustrated one of thememoranda hereinbefore mentioned. At the top of this memorandum are aplurality of rectangles. in the first rectangle appears the letter B,which indicates that the particular order under consideration is toreach the packers through sorting station B. In the second rectangleappears the numeral 4 which indicates I middle bin of section l ofstation E, by the employee, or employees. in charge of station B. in thelast rectangle appear the numerenace als 310, which indicate that forthe purpose of assembly and checking the item bearing the memorandum isto be assigned to basket 310, being one of the baskets of assemblybasket section 18 When a memorandum of the kind exemplified in Figure tis received in any stock room, the item of merchandise called for bysuch memorandum is taken out of stock, and placed in a carton, envelopeor the like, to which the memorandum is attached. It is the duty of someemployee in the stock room to see that the particular item underconsideration reaches balcony 11 at any time within the hour immediatelypreceding the time noted in the third rectangle at the top of thememorandum. After arriving at the balcony, the item is icked up anddelivered to the conveyor leading to the station noted in the firstrectangle of the memorandum. In the case of an item bearing theparticular memorandum shownin Figure t, it would be delivered from thebalcony to conveyor 6, and be carried by such conveyor to sortingstation B. An employee Working at station B would, by a glance at thenumber in the second rectangle of the memorandum, determine that suchitem should be assigned to section 4, and by noting the last twonumerals in the third rectangle would determine that the item belongs inthe middle bin of section t. Such employee would therefore place theitem in the middle bin of bin section l of sorting station B. lit willbe understood, of course, that all items belonging to the same orderwill bear the same indicia, and will behandled in the manner described;hence, all items belonging in the same order with the particular itemhereinbefore mentioned will-reach the middle bin of bin section 42 ofstation E sometime within an hour preceding 10:20 oclock.

At 10 :20 oclock the employee working out of bin section 4: of station B(being also the employee in charge of assembly basket section B beginsto take packages or items out of the middle bin of section 4, and todistribute them to the baskets designated by the numbers appearing inthe last rectangles of the memoranda appearing upon such items. Asagiven basket number is assigned to Tout one order for every twentyminutes of working time, each basket, before the expiration of thetwenty minute period, should receive all of the items pertaining to butone order. As soon as all of the items out of the middle bin of binsection l of station 13 have been distributed, the employee who has donethe distributing proceeds to check the orders in the assembly baskets tosee that all are complete. As each order is checked, the basketcontaining same is moved partially through the basket rack to indicateto the packers that the order is complete, and ready to be packed fordelivery to the shipping room,

The packers, of course, take each order as the same is checked, andprepare same for shipmerit, delivering the properly packed merchandiseto the shipping room, through the agency of conveyors 19-49, orotherwise.

At 10 :40 oclock, the employee working out of bin section ll of stationE ceases to work out of the middle bin of such section and begins towork out of the bottom bin. At 11:00 oclock such employee Works out ofthe top bin and at 11:20 again works out of the middle bin.

For purposes of illustration, 1 have explained how my methodcontemplates handling the several items of an order, which is to beassembled and checked in basket 310 of assembly'basket section Bsometime in the twenty-minute period following 10 :20 oclock Hence, myexplanation of the working of the method has been confined somewhattostation B and the basket section B". However, it will bev understoodthat the duties of. all employees in charge of sorting stations areidentical, and that the duties of all employees in charge or assemblybasket sections are identical.

Briefly stated, the items of merchandise handled in accordance with mymethod are delivered to a sorting station contiguous to the finalassembly bins, and from which sorting station, such bins are immediatelyand directly accessible, and at which sorting station each item is, by asingle operation by an employee there located, distributed on the basisof two classifications, the first classification having regard for thesection containing the bin or basket wherein the said item is to go forthe purpose of final assembly and checking, and the secondclassification having regard for the time when such assembly andchecking is to be effected.

ll appreciate that the apparatus employed in carrying my method intoetlect may be varied within wide limits, for instance, the sortingstation instead of consisting of fined bins might consist of movablebaskets. Such a modified arrangement is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.in these figures, reference numerals 20 indicates a framework whichprovides a plurality of platforms 2l--21 and roller tracks 2222, therebeing one roller track associated with each platform. The platforms maybe arranged in tour vertical tiers of three each. The platforms areadapted to support baskets sacs. Each vertical tier of baskets may beregarded as constituting a sorting station section, and as servinga-purpose corresponding to that of the tired bin sections of thestations illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. At the beginning of eachpredetermined time period, the baskets out of which the employees incharge of the assembly basket sections are to work during that periodare pushed oil of their lit respective supporting platforms and areper-\ mitted to roll down tracks 22 to positions where they areaccessible to the employees in charge of the assembly basket sections.If any basket becomes full before the begin-. ning ofthe period in whichitems are to be taken out of that basket, it is simply pushed off of itssupporting platform onto the roller track associated with that platform,and is replaced by an empty basket which in'turn is moved onto theroller track when filled, or at the commencement of the time periodduring which the items contained in the basket are to be distributed tothe assembly baskets.

The assembly baskets 17-17 of Figures 1 to 3 and the racks whereon saidassembly baskets are mounted, may, of. course, be replaced by fixed ormovable bins of any suitable type.

Having thus described my improved method, what I claim as new and desireto secure by States is:

1. The herein described method which consists in distributing theseveral items ofa multiplicity of orders to a plurality of sortingstations'and, at the sorting stations, by one handling of each item,sorting said items into major groups, each of which is located adjacentto a section of assembly receptacles assigned to said major group, andsimultaneously, by the one handling before mentioned, sorting thevarious items of each. major group into minor groups which are to betransferred to the assembly receptacles Letters Patent of the Unitedduring different periods of time, and successively sorting the minorgroups of each major group into separate orders by transferring theseveral items of each m1nor group into the assembly receptacles, the

items of different orders being placed in different assemblyreceptacles.

2. The herein described method which consists in distributing theseveral items of a multiplicity of orders to a plurality of sortingstations and, at the sorting stations by once handlin each item, sortingsaid items into a plurality of groups each including a pluralityofsub-groups of items which are tobe assembled into complete ordersduring ing stations and then, at each sorting station, by once handlingeach item, sorting the items in accordance with a fixed classificationand a changing classification, the. fixed classification being intogroups which are sub-divided in accordance with the changinclassification, the changing classification eing in accordance with thetime intervals in which the various items of the--35 orders are to beassembled for packing."

6. The herein described method of handling a multiplicity of itemsconstituting a p plurality of orders which consists, by once handlingeach item, of sorting said items into a plurality of groups eachincluding a plurality of sub-groups of items constituting orders whichare to be assembled within one'of a plurality of successive and equalintervals of time. i 95 7. The herein described method whichconsists indelivering'a plurality of items of. merchandise to a sorting stationwhich is contiguous to each of a plurality of sections of final assemblybaskets which are immediately and directly accessible from said sortingstation, and, by a single operation by an individual located at thesorting'station, distributing each item on the. basis of twoclassifications, the first classification havingregard to the sectioncontaining the basket wherein the said item is to go for the purposeoffinal assembly and checking, and the second classification havingregard for the time when such assembly. and checking is to be efi'ected.

'8. The herein described method which consists in delivering items ofmerchandise to a sorting station contiguous to final assemblyreceptacles, and from which sorting i station such final assemblyreceptacles are directly accessible, and sorting each item, at thesorting station, by a single operation of an individual located, at thesorting station, first, with respect to a section of finalassemblyreceptacles containing the receptacle wherein said item is to go or thepurpose of assembly and-checking, and, second, with respect to the timewhen such assembly and checking'is to be eliected.

9. The herein described method which consists in distributing theseveral items of a multiplicity of orders to a plurality of'sortingstations, each of which is located contiguous to a plurality of sectionsof final as- 'Leeeeme sembly receptacles which are assigned to suchstetlon, and, at the sortmg stamens, by 2r single eperatlon with respect0 each ltem,

sorting each item, first, with regard to the seeti on of final assemblyreceptacles contemln the receptacle Whereln said New 1s to go -or thepurpose er assembly and cheekr mg, and, secondl, with regard to the timewhen such assembly and ehecking'is to be eflected.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day ofSeptember, 1921. ALFRED S. ALSCHULER.

Witnesses:

131mm J. Bormeeors, C. (Dram.

